Housing Headlines

BOSTON --- Speaking with reporters after winning a second term, Governor Charlie Baker said the high cost and shortage of housing is the most serious long-term hurdle to continued economic growth" and he expressed hope that lawmakers would revisit his Housing Choice legislation, which, which would allow town governing bodies to change zoning with a simple majority vote rather than the current requirement of two-thirds majority.

LOWELL --- In the wake of concerns of overcrowding, fire safety and excessive street parking in neighborhoods near UMass Lowell, city officials have crafted draft amendments to the rental property ordinance, which would place a limit on the number of students in each bedroom per unit.

BOSTON --- Roxbury residents jammed a City Council hearing Tuesday night to voice their concerns over rising rents and evictions that are forcing many to pay more or move out. Residents testified that rapid growth has hit Roxbury hard, a sentiment bolstered by a recent city study which found Roxbury housing prices have jumped 70 percent between 2010 and 2015.

LYNN --- At a Rotary Club luncheon, the state's housing and economic development secretary said the Baker Administration has been hyper-focused on Lynn, noting that five percent of the $8.5 million in MassWorks infrastructure grants made the past two years have gone to the city.

A study that could lead to more multi-family housing outside traditional residential neighborhoods is underway in Falmouth, Eastham and Orleans, funded by a $100,000 grant from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

EASTHAM --- After hours of careful discussions with various stakeholders, the Eastham Community Preservation Committee voted to OK a spending plan for CPA funds that calls for 40 percent directed toward community housing and 30 percent to open space, with the remaining un-designated but with a preference for historical preservation or active recreation.